lpetrich
Contributor
A National ID System: Big Brother's Solution to Illegal Immigration - pa237.pdf - 1995
National Identification System | Cato Institute - 1997
Real ID Decisions | Cato Institute - 2016
If You Value Privacy, Resist Any Form of National ID Cards | Cato Institute - 2018
I looked through that document, and there was nearly no discussion of state ID's and how they are a de facto national ID system. "State ID's good national ID's bad" is a subtext of other Cato Institute statements about national ID's, objecting to them rather strongly while barely discussing state ones.Republicans in the House and Senate are moving quickly forward with Orwellian legislation that would create anational computerized registration system for all American workers. The new federal computer worker registry, whichis intended to reduce illegal immigration, is the crucial first step toward the implementation of a national identificationcard system for all 120 million American workers. For the first time ever, employers would have to receive thegovernment's permission to hire a new worker. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) has even urged that the ID cardscontain individuals' photographs, fingerprints, and even retina scans.
The computer registry and national ID card, which would confer on the federal government vast new police-statepowers, is highly incompatible with the Republican theme of expanding freedom and reducing government. There areother problems with the concept: 1) the identification system could be easily expanded to include other purposesbeyond deterring illegal immigration, such as implementation of a Clinton- style health security card, conductingbackground checks on individuals, and enforcing affirmative action laws and other government regulations; 2) thesystem would cost the federal government between $3 billion and $6 billion per year to administer; and 3) error ratesthat are commonplace for government databases would lead to hundreds of thousands of Americans being denied legalaccess to the workforce.
A computer registry would impose large costs on American citizens in terms of both dollars and lost liberties. Yet, asthis study shows, the impact on illegal immigration would be minimal.
National Identification System | Cato Institute - 1997
Thank you for the opportunity to comment today on the idea of “improving the integrity of the Social Security card by making it as secure as the 100 dollar bill.” I am as opposed as I possibly could be to any measure that would move toward the establishment of a national i.d card in America. Make no mistake about it: H.R. 231 would do exactly that. I am aware that supporters of this idea argue vehemently that making the Social Security card fraud‐proof is not the same as establishing a national i.d. card. In fact, there is a section in Mr. McCollum’s bill H.R. 231 entitled “NOT A NATIONAL IDENTIFICATION CARD.”
Real ID Decisions | Cato Institute - 2016
DHS announced recently that it will refuse Americans’ access to federal facilities beginning on Jan. 30, 2017, if they carry drivers’ licenses or IDs from states that don’t comply with the Real ID Act. This hardball tactic will be carried out in the new president’s name.
Congress passed Real ID in 2005. It seeks to coerce states into issuing ID cards and licenses with nationally standardized data elements. It also requires states to share their databases of driver information across a national data network. This national ID system would be run by the states for the federal government. The law calls on federal agencies led by DHS to refuse IDs and drivers’ licenses from non‐compliant states.
If You Value Privacy, Resist Any Form of National ID Cards | Cato Institute - 2018
The Chinese telecom company ZTE is helping the Venezuelan government build a network for its “Fatherland Card,” an ID card that is being increasingly linked to government services. The Fatherland Card provides access to troves of personal information including political affiliation, medical history, employment status, and much more. What was ostensibly designed to provide millions of Venezuelans with documentation required for opening a bank account or voting has morphed into an ID card program ideal for authoritarian government.
It’s distressing, but not surprising, that the Chinese and Venezuelan governments are colluding to further erode their citizens’ privacy.
n the U.S., we’re nowhere close to living under the degree of surveillance seen in Venezuela or China. Nonetheless, we must remain vigilant for calls for increased data gathering and national ID systems that put our privacy at risk, especially those calls that are couched in the name of immigration enforcement and anti‐terrorism efforts. These ID proposals, if left unchecked, will diminish the freedom to travel and work, and expose more details of our private lives to the authorities.